Grinding Gear Games (GGG), the developer behind Path of Exile 2, has introduced further emergency updates to address the community's backlash against the Dawn of the Hunt expansion. The update, which rolled out earlier this month, introduced the new Huntress class and five new ascension classes: Ritualist, Amazon, Smith of Kitava, Tactician, and Lich. Alongside these additions, the expansion brought over a hundred new unique items and expanded crafting options. However, these changes were overshadowed by widespread complaints about the game's pace, which players felt had been slowed down excessively, leading to a "total slog" experience.
The reaction was swift and harsh, with recent Steam user reviews dropping to 'mostly negative.' One of the most helpful reviews from the last 30 days highlighted the issues: "Every boss fight is incredibly longer than it needs to be. Most of the skills do little to no damage. I understand they said they wanted to slow gameplay down, but I don't think I will even make it more than one week in this league at this point. It just feels incredibly awful right now, IF you can even get the game to run and be stable. That is a HUGE if." Another negative review humorously suggested the game was only suitable for masochists who enjoy punishment with little reward.
Players also criticized the game's large area sizes, slow movement, and the forced combo gameplay, which contrasted with the freedom typically expected in action role-playing games (ARPGs). Concerns were raised about the nerfed loot system and the developers' initial reluctance to address community feedback until the backlash became unavoidable.
In response, GGG has planned the 0.2.0e update, set for release on April 11, to tackle these issues. The update focuses on several key areas:
Monster Speed Changes
GGG is addressing the overwhelming presence of monsters by adjusting their speed and behavior. Changes include removing interrupt events from certain monsters' attacks, reducing the speed of the Haste Aura modifier, and altering the behavior of specific monsters across different acts to give players more breathing room during combat.
Boss Changes
Boss fights have been modified to reduce frustration. Adjustments include reducing the number of Chaos Rains in the Viper Napuatzi fight, altering Uxmal's behavior to make him less annoying, and enhancing visibility in the Xyclucian fight.
Player Minion Changes
The revive timers for player minions have been tweaked to prevent long delays when multiple minions die. Additionally, improvements to Bind Spectre and Tame Beast gems allow for better control and usability.
Other Player Balance
Minor balance changes have been implemented, including expanding the Rally support skill to all melee attacks and fixing bugs related to the Ritualist ascendancy's Blood Boils.
Crafting Changes
New mods for caster weapons have been added to runes, and a Blank rune option has been introduced at Renly's abandoned shop, enhancing crafting flexibility.
Performance Improvements
Optimizations have been made to ground foliage in various areas to improve overall game performance.
Upcoming Changes
GGG has also outlined future updates that will further refine the game. These include changes to charm slots on belts, enhancements to charm effects, the introduction of Stash Tab Affinities for better item organization, and the addition of Atlas Bookmarks for easier navigation.
The question remains whether these changes will be sufficient to restore the community's faith in Path of Exile 2. Despite the initial success and high player turnout at launch, the ongoing issues have even affected the development of Path of Exile 1. Players and fans alike are hopeful that GGG's continued efforts will lead to a more enjoyable and balanced gaming experience.
